Method and apparatus for making wheels



June 22 1926.

1,5 9,772 J. H. WAGENHORST METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING WHEELS Filed Feb. 24, 1920 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 June 22 1926.

J. H. WAGENHORST METHOD AND APPARATUS FOR MAKING WHEELS Filed Feb. 24. 1920 Patented .lune 22, 1926.

IE. STATES JAMES H. VTAGENHORST, OF JACKSON, MICHIGAN.

METHOD AND APARATUS FQR MAKING- WHEELS.

Application filed February 24, 1920.

This invention relates generally to wheels, and more particularly to the method t and apparatus tor making wheel consisting ot wooden spokes and a sheet metal telly, the object being to provide a. simple method ot making such a wheel, and likewise a simple and etiicient apparatus tor fabricating the wheel according to such method. Briefly described the method consists in enlarging the sheet metal telly, positioning the spokes within said enlarged telly, with the tenons ot said spokes engaging the sockets in said telly and their mitered ends in close proximity to one another, said mitered ends being elevated above the plane ot the telly; and while said telly is still in its enlarged condition torcing said mitered ends into the plane of said telly thus bringing all of the spokes into the true plane, and finally permitting the telly to contract or assume its normal size, thereby placing all the spokes under radial compression and bringing the mitered ends into proper binding engagement with one another.

The invention consists also in providing a suitable fixed support for the sheet metal telly, a yield-able support tor the inner or mitered ends ot the spokes and a guide tor positioning the outer ends of said spokes, and means tor torcing down the yieldable support with the mitered ends of the spokes thereon until all ot the spokes have been brought into the plane ot the telly. The invention consists also in certain details of construction hereinatter tully described and set forth in the claims.

In the drawings torming a part of this specification Fig. 1 is a perspective view ot a machine embodying one torm 0t apparatus tor making wheels ot the kind described and for carrying out my improved method; Fig. 2 is a general view showing the sheet metal telly arranged upon the support and the spokes positioned within the telly and supported in their elevated position upon the wheel support; Fig. 8 is a sectional elevation showing the positions all the various parts assume when the plunger is forced down bringing the spokes into their final positions in the plane ot the telly; Fig. 4 is a top plan view of the telly support together with spoke support and guide and Fig. 5 is a detailed view showing a slightly modified torm 0t combined telly support and guide. In the practical embodiment ot my invention I employ a suitable standard Serial No. 360,804.

10, to which is connected in any suit-able manner, a horizontal table or support 11, which in practice is preferably circular in shape and of such size as to conveniently receive thereon a sheet metal telly 12 which is made with a valve stem hole and a plurality 0t spoke sockets 13. The table or support 11 has a guide ring 14 connected thereto, said ring being of such size that the sheet metal. telly 12 when expanded will tit accurately thereover, and it will be understood that tor various sizes of tellies there will be corresponding varying sizes of guide rings. Each guide ring has a plurality 0t radial notches as many as there are spokes tor the wheel. The ring may also be provided with an outwardly projecting pin 16 to enter the valve stem hole ot the telly and determines the accurate positioning of the telly upon the support so as to bring the spoke sockets in direct alignment with the notches and the table or support is also provided with parallel upwardly extending guide pins 17 between which the first spoke 18 is positioned, the outer ends or tenons 19 being placed in engagement with the spoke socket 123, while the mitered ends 20 rest upon the head 21 ot a yielding support 22 arranged centrally ot the table 11 and nor mally supported in a raised position by means ot a spring 23 held within a depending bracket 24 connected to the table 11; and it will be noted that the outer edge of the head 21 is beveled as shown at 25 there being as many bevels as there are spokes tor the wheel, and the mitered end 0t each spoke rests upon this beveled edge and is thereby maintained in its proper position within the telly preparatory to being brought into the true wheel plane by means ot a plunger 25 actuated by a fluid operated piston arranged in the cylinder 27, the plunger preterably having a reduced lower end 28 which passes between the inner ends ot the spoke miters and serves to maintain them properly positioned during the shitting of said spokes trom the inclined position illustrated in Fig. 2 to the horizontal position illustrated in Fig. 3. It desired, a suitable depending guide 29 may be attached to the bottom ot the cylinder 27 tor the purpose ot guiding the plunger and piston and also serving as a stop to limit the upward movement thereot. The cylinder 27 can receive either hydraulic or air pressur I have shown a pipe 30 leading into the opguide ring f" 0 normal size and places all-of t and providing a wheel or ing of a sheet metal telly posite ends thereof controlled by a valve 31 operated by ahandle 32, but it will be understood any suitable arrangement may be used for causing thepistonand plunger to raise and lower when desired in order to edectively 'accomplislithe ope-ration oithe machine and carry out this step intheproo ess. After the spokes have been forced down into the wheel plane as illustrated in Fig. 3 pressure is removed from the plunger and the wheel comprising the telly and pokes in their proper plane is then removed from the support. I Before the folly is placed. upon the table 11 it ishe'atedsutiici'e'ntly to cause a considerable expansion aiirhrs-imn so et'panded is fitted about the I upon the table and the spokes arranged therein in umbrella fashion as shown in l 2 and then br right down into the true wheel plane as shown in Fig.

3 and after the removal oi: the wheel'- from the .maohine, the telly is pe mitted to cool resumes its I no spokes under theproper radial coinprs. ion and bi'nd ing thcirmitered ends into proper Contact great strength and durability; In 5,1 have shown a slight modification guide ring l lranged upon the table 11, said guide ring being shouldered as indicated at 14-" to re oeive the sheet metal fellytherein i-nsteado't arranging the sheet metal telly upon the and contractand. in doino so carrying out the 1 method; however, are coneernochthe' functions-and operations of this guide ring are substantially the saine as that previously described so far as the positioning of the telly is concerned, but it does-not serve as a guide for positioning the spokes. lVhen the spokes are forced down there is a tendency to distort the rim slightly outwardly at the spoke ends and slightly inwardly between the spoke ends, and the rings let and 14 will hold' these distortions" within certain limits; and when the pressure is relieved and the rim removed the rim in recovering from these slight distortions will aid in tightening; the wheel. By practicing the method herein set forth, and by the operation of the machineherein shown andd-escribed I am able to quickly and ellicientlv manufacture a wheel consistaiid wooden spokes, said spokes preferably having tenonedouter ends and mitered 'inner'ends of the standard type. It is obvious that certain changes and modifications can be made .to the apparatus herein shown within the scope ot the appended claims.

Having thus described my invention, what I claim is:

1. T he herein described method of pro ducing a wheel body comprising a channeled sheet metal rim and a pluralityof wooden spokes, said method consisting in positioning an enlarged telly upon an annular support'andmaintaining the same against material distortion, arranging the wooden spokes within the sheet metal rim, their outer ends beiin in engagement with said rim at definite points, their mitered ends being elevated above the plane of said rim and then bringing the inner ends of said spokes into the plane of the wheel and finally permitting the sheet metal rim to resume its normal size'and shape and place the spokes under radial compression.

2. The herein described method of pro ducing a wheel" body comprising a' ch'an- .neled sheet: metal telly and ajpl'urality of wooden spokes iich consists in positioning a heated sheet metal rim uponia suitable annular support and iolding the shine against material distortion, arranging the wooden spokes with their outer ends inengagemen't with said rim and their mitered ends elevated above the plane of said rim and then bringing said spokes intothe plane of the. rim, while said rim is still 'h'eld against material distortion and finally permitting said rim to cool and'assume its normal size and shape and place the spokes under radial compression.

3. In a machine for making wheels comprisino wooden spokes and a sheet metal rim, tie combination with an annu'laixrim support, of centrally disposed means for supporting the spokes I at their inner ends, the annular rim support being provided with means for positioning and maintaini'ng both the rim and spokes in theircori'ect relative positions, and means for bringing the spokes into theplane of the rim.

4. In a n'iachine for making wheels'comprising wooden spokes and 'a sheet metal rim, the combinationwith a fixed support including an elevated ring provided with radial notches, of a centrally'arranged yieldable support adapted to maintain the inner ends of the spokes in an elevated position while the outer ends contact with the ole vated notched ring, andwith which thesheet metal rim also contacts,andmeans for fore ing the central' spoke support downwardly and bringing the spokes into the plane of the rim held about the notched annular ring.

5. In amachineformanufact'uring wheels, con'iprising wooden spokes and a sheet metal rim, the combination with a rim support comprising a base portion and an elevated ring portion, of means carried by saidring portion for engaging the rim and maintainingthe same in a definite position upon said support, a yieldable support for maintaining the miter-ed ends of the spokes out of the plane of the rim and means for engaging the inner ends of said spoke-sand bringing them into the plane of the rim.

6. In a machine for making wheels comprising Wooden spokes and a sheet metal rim, the combination with a table, of a ring arranged thereon having a plurality of guiding notches, a yieldable support arranged centrally of said table and adapted to support the mitered ends of the spokes, guide pins extending upwardly from the table for positioning the initial spoke, and a plunger adapted to engage the mitered ends of the spokes and bring them into the plane of the sheet metal rim.

7 In a machine for making wheel bodies comprising wooden spokes and a sheet metal rim, the combination with a table, of a ring arranged thereon having a plurality of guiding notches, an outwardly extending pin for the valve stem hole of the rim and determining the position of the rim upon the ring, a pair of guide pins projecting upwardly from the table for positioning the initial spoke, a centrally disposed yieldable support for supporting the mitered ends of the spokes above the plane of the rim, and a plunger adapted to engage said mitered ends of the spokes and bring the same into the plane of the rim.

8. In a machine for '1 iaking wheels, the combination of a table for supporting a telly, a member thereon serving to preserve the concentricity of said telly, and a depressible support for the inner ends of the spokes, said member having means serving to direct the outer ends of the spokes toward their proper positions in the telly, and means for moving the inner ends of the spokes toward said table.

9. In a machine for making wheels, the combination of a support having means for holding a felly in fixed position thereon, means disposed centrally of and normally elevated above said positioning means for supporting the inner ends of spokes,'said support being provided With circumferentially spaced notches for directing the outer ends of the spokes toward their proper position relative to a telly as the inner ends of the spokes are placed upon said centrally disposed means, and means for forcing the inner ends of the spokes toward said suport. p In testimony whereof, I hereunto affix my signature. JAMES H. WAGENHORST. 

